Metropolitan Opera Review 2014-15 - La Boheme - A Routine Revival With Beautiful Singing but Lacking in Drama
Puccini's "La Boheme" is one of the most popular operas, if not the most popular opera, in the entire repertoire.
It is the kind of work that anyone, both fans and those new to the art form, will connect with on some level. At the Met Opera, "Boheme" has the distinction of being the most presented work ever. But the danger of an opera being performed time and again at a major house is that it could eventually become little more than a routine revival.
And that is exactly what happened on Monday.
Bryan Hymel was arguably the singer that created the greatest anticipation. When he made his debut in "Les Troyens" a few seasons ago, he was the talk of the town. The way he tackled the frightening role of Aeneas was not only admirable, but downright heroic. In "Boheme," he is not asked to play a legendary hero, but a common artist. In some ways, the expectations are even higher. Hymel sang well throughout the night, but lacked that star power that had made his Aeneas (or his other work internationally) so riveting. His opening phrases had a nasal quality to them and he often seemed overpowered by the orchestra throughout the first half. The aria "Che gelida manina" was delicately sung, but the intensity and passion at the climax was rather reserved and muted. Hymel rounded into form in the third act with his voice in full bloom; the nasal sounds of the opening replaced by brightness and brilliance. His singing in the Act Four duet "O Mimi, tu piu non torni" was polished and elegant. He continued in this vein throughout the rest of the night and finalized it with a heartbreaking rendition of the final "Mimi" cries. On the second, he interpolated his own crying sound, adding a visceral nature to the proceedings.
As his ill-fated lover, Hei-Kyung Hong stepped in for Ekaterina Scherbachenko. Hong has a sweet voice and her phrasing is elegant. She delivered a wonderful diminuendo to finalize her "Si, mi chiamano Mimi" and sang with a suitable piano tone throughout the four act when the eponymous character is on her death bed. She sang well alongside Hymel in their Act 1 duet and the close of the Act 3 quartet. Her "Donde lieta usci" was also beautiful in its tenderness and melancholy.
As Marcelo, Quinn Kesley displayed a robust voice that had a groveling quality to it. He was passionate and eloquent throughout the evening, particularly in "O Mimi, tu piu non torni," where he blended his tonal qualities with Hymel wonderfully. His repartee with Musetta at the end of Act 3 was also engaging, especially his emphatic delivery of "Strega!"
Less impressive was soprano Myrto Papatanasiu as Musetta. She was a fine actress and really knew how to draw the viewer's attention as the sassy soprano. Even her quieter moments in Act 4 were filled with subtle but effective suffering. But her singing, however, could not live up to her physical presence. Her voice, particularly in its higher range, is filled with a shrill wobble. This was particularly noticeable throughout her waltz "Quando m'en vo' soletta." She was, however, quite entertaining during her onstage argument with Marcello in Act 3.
Arguably the most impressive of the entire cast were Alexey Lavrov and David Soar as Schaunard and Colline. Soar delivered a heartfelt rendition of "Vecchia zimarra" with a rather muted tone that made the aria all the more intimate. His crescendo at the very end of the phrase "fedele amico mio" was arguably the most wondrous vocal moment of the entire evening. Both he and Lavrov imbued this performance with tremendous energy in their Act 4 "dance" scene. There were actually noticeable changes in the choreography of the sequence that refreshed an otherwise bland evening on stage.
This was a "Boheme" to listen to for the most part, and aside from Lavrov and Soar's antics, there was a lack of buzz and energy throughout. A lot probably has to do with Hong's recent arrival and the undeniable fact that there was really no major attempt to imbue the old Zeffirelli production with new energy.
The production gets lambasted by many for being oversized and unfocused. Fans love the pomposity and detail of the set, but like everything it needs to be renewed in some way. That does not mean getting rid of the production, but looking to add new energy to keep it fresh. On Monday, the actors were seemingly following all the steps and checking all the boxes scenically without adding anything new to the proceedings (except for Soar and Lavrov). For anyone not acquainted with the production, this might not be a sour point, but for those who are enamored with the production and have seen it for years (including this writer), it was a rather uninspiring display. This, of course, goes on the stage direction by J. Knighten Smit, who seemed more interested in just getting the actors "through" the night and expecting the singing and music to make up for it. In live theater, more often than not, you need both.
At least conductor Riccardo Frizza did his utmost to deliver on the musical end of the spectrum. The orchestra played with a lush energy that was constantly pushed to the limit. The violins swelled up with intensity at every emotional climax and the brass section sounded as polished and secure as one might ever hear it. But the conducting was far from one-dimensional. Frizza made sure to bring out every single detail in Puccini's lush score, and sounds that are often overlooked by other conductors (such as the tremolos in the violas during the first act duet) came to the forefront. For those uninterested with what was going on onstage, listening to the orchestra under Frizza's guidance made up for it.
But not completely. While he managed to get the orchestra to play at full blaze, he often covered his singers and made it difficult for them to project. Such was the case during Hymel's "Che Gelida Manina," where his voice was almost washed away by the orchestra's muscular playing.
There was solid singing and lush orchestral playing on display in this Met "Boheme." But unfortunately there was little else. Those familiar with the work at the famed opera house might be a bit underwhelmed, but those getting to know the work for the first time will still find enough to enjoy.
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